Will you hold me?
by SwanSong31
Summary: Emma is fifteen. Mary Margret is a teacher at her school. She sees Emma in a way that no one else does. She's not invisible, she's here and she needs help. Will Mary Margaret be able to save her? Or will this cruel world claim yet another lonely soul?
1. Chapter 1

The cool night air was burning her lungs, the wet grass threaded to claim the feet beneath her.

"Let's go, Emma! You're not done until you're puking it all up!" Mary screamed at her.

Emma let out a low growl and continued on her seemingly endless suicide sprints. She begged her stomach to lurch already. It had to be getting close to three in the morning.

 _ **I don't even know why she is so angry, It's not like she really even cares. It was just bad luck that Mary was driving by that party. It was bad luck that she saw me stumbling out of that house. Just bad luck.**_

She kept pushing.

Faster.

Longer strides.

Soon, the tightness and burning in her chest wasn't about the running or the immense amount of liquor in her system. It went deeper than that. She felt the loneliness seeping from her bones, the abandonment and the loss.

 _ **No! I left all of those feelings behind! I'm not that scared little girl anymore. I buried them with Neal.**_

She reached the end of the field, her foot slipped on the damp grass; she reached out her arm to catch herself.

 _ **Fuck, how many more of these is she going to make me do?!**_

"You'd better get your ass up or I'll add bleachers too! Now, move it!" Mary screamed at her. Again.

"This is fucking ridiculous!" Emma screamed back at her as she began running again.

Mary raised her eyebrow and folded her arms over her chest.

 _ **Now we are getting somewhere. This is the first she'd spoken since I picked her up.**_

"You did this to yourself! You chose to drink yourself into oblivion! I didn't do that!"

"No! You were just in the wrong place at the wrong time!" She yelled as she passed her.

"I'd say it was the perfect time, Emma! What would have happened to you if I hadn't showed up?"

"The same thing that happens every fucking time! I would have been fine!" She screamed, throwing her arms up as she finally stopping.

"Keep going." Mary said matter a factly.

Emma shot her a glare and continued running.

"And you wouldn't have been fine, Emma! You're not fine!" She yelled.

"I am fine!" She yelled. Begging herself to actually believe it.

"You are allowed not to be okay Emma." Mary said quietly enough Emma couldn't hear her.

Mary had been watching Emma for a while now. She saw her in the halls, keeping her head low and eyes always fixed on the floor. She was in two of her classes, her best student actually. Smarter than anyone her age. Most fifteen year olds didn't care much for school, but Emma seemed to thrive on knowledge.

Emma tried to stay under the radar and to most, she had. But Mary had noticed her the very moment she walked into her classroom. A fading black eye accompanying her, along with a few others Mary was sure were hidden as well. When she had tried to ask about them Emma had brushed her off, saying she walked into a door. She made it her personal goal to get to know everything she could about this young girl.

It hadn't been easy, small talk with Emma was almost useless and the fact that she almost always avoided eye contact. She never really participated in class, but the few times she did, she always kept her voice just barely loud enough to actually understand.

Mary had bumped into her one late evening as she was leaving the school building. Both of their bodies landing hard on the pavement. Emma was wearing worn down looking work out clothes, they hung loosely off her small frame; beads of sweat dripping from her head. The loud angry music pounding from her headphones somehow didn't surprise Mary. She could tell this girl was hurting but also didn't want anyone's pity.

"Oh, Emma! I'm so sorry; I didn't see you there. Are you alright?" She had asked.

Mary reached down to help her up but she flinched away. Mary quickly pulled her arm back, not wanting to frighten the girl anymore than she already had.

"No, I'm sorry, Ms. Blanchard it was my fault. I'm just not used to anyone still being here this late. Are you okay?" Emma said in a low voice as she stood.

"Well your fellow classmates left me with many letters to send home to their parents about the last exam we took." Mary laughed as she picked up her purse. When she rose she was met with a pair of large round eyes, filled now with horror.

"Wh-what?" Emma asked.

 _ **I studied so long for that fucking exam. If Mr. and Mrs. Newell find out I failed I wont eat for a week. And it's getting way too hot to be wearing long sleeves again.**_

"Oh, no, not your exam Emma. You actually had a perfect score. Don't tell anyone else though, I will be having a serious talk with everyone Monday morning. No, I sent your parents a different letter. A good one, I promise." Mary said quickly. Watching as the horror was replaced by embarrassment.

"Oh, you didn't have to do that." Emma said as her eyes found the ground.

"Yes, I did. They should know how well you are doing. In both of my classes." Mary said with a smile as she placed her hand on Emma's forearm.

"Well, thanks." Emma whispered.

They stood there in a comfortable yet awkward silence for a while. Mary's head was swimming with questions that she was dying to ask Emma. Newfound maternal instincts were fighting their way to the surface.

"Are you okay, Emma? It is quite late for you to be out here." Mary asked. Searching her eyes for a hidden answer.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I just like to run at night. No one is around to bother me and it's cooler." Emma said, inwardly begging Mary not to ask any more questions.

"Do you run often?" Mary asked.

Emma thought about her question for a moment _ **, if I said yes she may start asking questions about home. If I said no, she may think that I'm lying and call my foster parents. That is the last thing I need right now.**_

"Emma?" Mary asked, pulling her from her thoughts.

"Yeah, sorry. I do. I like to run and since they won't let me in the workout rooms, running is all I can really do. I like to stay in shape." Emma said. Trying to think of a way to end this conversation quickly.

"Why won't they let you in the workout room?"

"I don't know. It's a bunch of dumb football jocks. They probably don't want to be shown up by a girl."

Mary gave a small chuckle. "You're right about that, I suppose."

"Well I better get going, I don't want my parents to worry." The sentence felt like vinegar in her mouth.

 _ **Like they even know that I'm gone. Or would care if I was.**_

Mary took a look around the parking lot; it was empty except for her car and a few of the janitors.

"Do you need a ride home? I don't see your car here."

"Oh, no that's okay. I don't live far. I usually run home. " Emma said.

"I would really feel better if you let me take you home And if it's not far it's really no problem." Mary said _ **. And it would be great to be able to talk to you some more, get you to trust me.**_

"Ms. Blanchard I promise, I will be okay. I need to finish the last bit of my run anyways." Emma tried to give her a reassuring smile.

After some very intense silence, Mary finally decided she was fighting a losing battle.

"Just promise me you'll go straight home and stay on well lit roads."

"I will Ms. Blanchard." Emma said.

Mary gave her a look that was filled with concern.

"I promise." Emma said.

"Alright," Mary sighed. "I'll see you on Monday. Have a good weekend. Be safe."

"You too, Ms. Blanchard." Emma said as she started to walk away, putting her headphones back in.

"Oh, and Emma," Mary said.

Emma turned back to look at her.

"My door is always open. You know, if you ever need to talk." Mary said gently.

Emma's brow furrowed slightly. "Thank you Ms. Blanchard but I'm okay, really." Emma forced a smile and turned back around.

Mary watched her run down the street, out of sight. As she got back into her car, Mary couldn't shake the feeling that there was so much more going on than just running at night. Emma had gotten so scared at the thought that Mary would be sending a letter home to her parents. It was more than a typical teenager worried that they hadn't passed an exam. There was more. But Mary couldn't quite put her finger on it.

She tried her best to put those feelings behind her, but she knew they would linger. She would feel better when she saw Emma again on Monday. The worrying wouldn't stop over the weekend.

Emma rounded the last corner on her street and slowed to a walk. She was close to her home.

 _ **Home. What does that even mean. It sure as hell isn't this place. This place is a living nightmare. I'm lucky if Noah was even able to sneak me more than a piece or two of bread tonight.**_

As Emma walked up the few steps to her front door she could already hear the yelling. She placed her hand on the doorknob and prepared herself for what was on the other side of it.

She opened the door as quite as she could. She could hear Mr. Newell yelling at his wife. She knew she shouldn't eavesdrop but it was hard no to when the words were being screamed.

"You think I wanted this?! Huh? Do you think I wanted to have these two brats in our home? No! This was all you! And they don't pay us nearly enough to keep our fridge full! You need to ask them for more money! Or we will ship them back to wherever the fuck they came from!"

 _ **Keep your fridge full? It was never full. All they money you get for us you spend on booze or drugs. Noah and I are lucky if we eat your scrapes**_.

"I'll ask for more money. But why don't you get off your lazy ass and get a job! I'm so sick of you just lying around here all day bitching until you get your next fix! What about me?! I have to care for these mongrels! Where is my fix? Huh! Where is my fucking fix?!" Mrs. Newell yelled back at him.

Emma rolled her eyes and ran up the stairs as quick as possible before they saw her. She ran to her room and quietly shut the door. Noah was sitting on her bed. Well, her make shift bed. It was just a ratty twin size mattress with a single thin blanket.

"You're back late." He said looking up from his book, glancing at the clock.

"Ugh, I know. I got stopped by a teacher." She said as she threw her book bag on the floor, throwing herself down next to him.

"A teacher? You didn't say anything, did you? They are already being worse than usual, we don't need a teacher snooping around." He said to her.

"No, idiot I didn't say anything to her. I did pass my exam though." She smiled up at him.

He put his book down and gave her a high five. "See, I knew you could do it! That's awesome Ems."

"Whatever, you know I wouldn't have passed without your help." Emma said.

"Well I am much smarter than you." Noah smiled. "You really reek. Take a shower."

"I will. But, I was wondering…" Emma started to ask.

"On the top self in the closet." Noah said without looking up from his book.

"You're the best!" Emma said jumping off the bed.

"Yeah yeah. It's getting pretty hard to sneak food for you. She kind of just throws it on the counter. I grabbed as much as I could before he got to it." Noah said.

"I know I just needed to run today. After last night, I needed to let off some steam." Emma said as she pulled the plate down. It held a now cold, frozen chicken patty with what was either mushy green beans or mushy peas.

"Ugh, they serve better food at school." Emma said as she picked at the patty.

"I know. But that is all there was." Noah said sympathetically.

"No, I appreciate it. Really." Emma said.

They sat there in silence for a while, Noah reading his book and Emma attempting to eat.

Noah and Emma had been in this house together for about a year, they had grown close to each other quickly, both knowing that they needed someone to lean on in this hell hole.

Noah was fourteen and a grade below Emma in school; they had both been in the foster system since they were babies. Neither one of them ever knowing their parents, all Noah had was a book that his mother had supposedly left for him.

A small inscription on the first page saying that she loved him and that she was sorry. Noah struggled a lot with this. On one hand he wanted to believe that his mother loved him and had no choice to give him up. On the other he felt like she didn't fight for him, that she never really loved him at all.

And all Emma had was a white baby blanket with her name woven into it. The blanket was the only thing they had left her. Whoever they were. Left by the side of the road. Nothing but that blanket to comfort her.

 _ **At least his mother thought enough of him to write him a note. I wasn't even worth that much.**_ Emma thought bitterly. She scolded herself. It wasn't Noah's fault, he had been abandoned too. She wanted him to find comfort in something, god knows they both needed it.

After she finished her food she got up and headed for the door. Opening it slightly, listening for signs of movement; luckily there weren't.

"I'm going to take a shower." Emma said to Noah.

"Okay," He said closing his book and standing up. "I'm going to head to bed. I'll see you in the morning Ems."

"Sleep well." Emma gave him a half hug as he walked down the hall to his room.

She walked to the bathroom and locked the door. She pealed off her smelly clothes and put them in the hamper. She looked at herself in the mirror and frowned deeply. She had large bruises covering her abdomen and upper arms. The four fresh cigarette burns on her back were just starting to scab over, her eyes were sunken in and she had dark circles beneath them. She hated how much this life had taken from her; sometimes she really just wanted to give up. But she had to make sure that Noah was okay, she wouldn't let her shit life define her.

No matter what anyone told her.


	2. Chapter 2

**Here is the next chapter. Leave me a review and let me know what you think. I have big plans for this story. If there is anything in-particular you're wanting to read. Let me know! (:**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

A series of loud stomping awoke Emma the following morning; her door opened slamming against the wall.

"Get the fuck up, you brat." Mrs. Newell screamed at her.

Emma jumped out of bed. "What's the matter?" She asked.

"What's the matter? I waited up all night for you to get home! Here you are sleeping all day! Where the hell where you?" She yelled as she stormed closer to Emma.

Emma glanced at the clock, it wasn't even seven am. How was she sleeping through the day?

"I got home around nine. You were talking to Mr. Newell. I didn't want to interrupt you. I'm sorry." Emma said as she shrank back into the wall.

Mrs. Newell was silent for a moment. "So you were listening to us? Why are you damned kids always where you shouldn't be?" She growled.

Emma's eyes grew wide in horror; she knew what was coming next. Mrs. Newell raised her hand; Emma had no time to react as her hand came swiftly across her face.

Emma let out a small shriek and crouched down on the floor, clutching her face. She dared a glance up at Mrs. Newell, a sickening smile spread across her face as she crouched down in front of Emma.

"Now, you will be spending the rest of the weekend making this house spotless. You will not eat a single scrap of MY food until you are able to eat it off the damn floor. Do you understand me?"

Emma could smell the booze dripping from her breath, the dark circles under her bloodshot eyes told Emma that she was probably strung out. She was always more aggressive when she was high, finding the smallest thing to beat them for.

"Do. You. Understand. Me." She said again as she pulled Emma's hair.

Emma let out another shriek of pain.

"Yes, ma'am." She squeaked.

"Good. Now get off the floor and get to work." She said as she turned to leave. She stopped just as she had reached the door, slowly turning back to Emma. She was still cowered on the floor, her eyes sealed shut. Mrs. Newell walked up to Emma and gave her a hard, swift kick in the ribs.

Emma screamed out in pain. Mrs. Newell grabbed her hair again, pulling her face into view.

"You are absolutely worthless. Without us, you would be nothing but a homeless whore. We saved you and I can't help but feel like you don't appreciate us as much as you should. That needs to change little lady. Or I'll make sure the next time you're on this floor Kurt will be the one taking care of you. And I'm much nicer than him. We both know that." She whispered into Emma's ear.

She shoved her head away and into the wall. Her head connected with a cringe-worthy crack. Emma let out a strangled cry as she curled deeper into herself. Mrs. Newell stumbled out of the room, leaving Emma in a heap on the floor. She waited until the door had been slammed shut. She struggled to stand; she grasped the wall to get her bearings and walked over to the door. She slammed her fists onto the frame

 ** _I hate you. I hate this place. I HATE IT!_**

Emma was seething, her heart pounding heavily against her ribcage. She brought her hand up to her hot cheek, even the gentle placement of her hand erupted a stinging pain throughout her face. She then touched the side of her head that had made contact with the wall, her hands slightly sticky with blood.

She tried to calm her breathing, she didn't want them knowing that they got to her. She didn't want to frighten Noah either; she tried for the most part to take the brunt of Mr. And Mrs. Newell's rage. Someone needed to look out for him, so she tried to be for him what she never had. Even so, she never understood what she ever did to make them so angry.

 _ **They didn't have to take us in! If they didn't want kids around, why would they have us here? I would rather be homeless than be here. I know they get paid enough for both of us. We don't even ask for food! We don't ask for anything!**_

She pushed off the door and picked up her clothes from the floor, throwing her old ones down in their place. She changed quickly and walked out of her room down the hall to the bathroom. She shut the door as she walked in, dreading to look at her current appearance. She sighed as she came face to face with herself; her cheek was red and throbbing. She had four long cuts on her cheek from Mrs. Newell's nails.

 ** _At least she didn't have her rings on this time._ Emma thought bitterly.**

Emma dampened a washcloth and brought it to her face, attempting to clean off some of the dried blood. She could see blood dripping from her head, she winced as she brought the cloth to it. She pulled out a secret stash of band-aids from a broken drawer, she had to restock soon, the stash was getting quite low. She put the large band-aid over the marks on her face and hopped that there wouldn't be much scaring, she didn't need anyone noticing. Especially Ms. Blanchard, for some reason her peak in interest of Emma's wellbeing might be troubling to her. She didn't need anyone poking around in her business, it would only cause more problems. She would have to remember to wear a hat on Monday.

 _ **God knows that won't heal quickly.**_

However, Emma had this nagging feeling when it came to Ms. Blanchard. She almost wanted her to know everything, to take her away from this place. Somewhere safe and warm. She could never leave Noah though, they promised each other to stick together. She wouldn't do it, no matter how selfish she wanted to be.

She walked out if the bathroom and headed down the stairs. She surveyed the mess before her, inwardly sighing. The entire house was completely trashed. It couldn't be done in a day.

 ** _I will be lucky if I get to eat by Monday._**

She grabbed the broom and mop and began her work.

* * *

Mary woke early that Saturday morning, per usual. She stretched as she walked into the kitchen and started a pot of coffee. She smiled to herself as she glanced back through the thin curtain to her bedroom. David's snoring could be heard throughout the entire loft.

She was slightly envious of how soundly he could sleep, not even an earthquake could penetrate his slumber. She did know that as soon as the smell of fresh coffee hit his nostrils he would be awake. He would always wake for coffee or the smell of bacon.

 _ **Typical man** _ she thought, smiling to herself.

She poured herself a large cup of coffee and leaned against the counter, she let her mind wander back to the previous evening.

She knew there was more to Emma's story than just a late night run. Mary will never forget how quickly the fear and horror swam into her eyes as she spoke about the work that had kept Mary so late. She knew there was something bothering this poor girl, there was a deep overwhelming pain consuming her. She just needed to find a way to get into Emma's life, find a way to make her safe. Even the thought of Emma being in danger sent painful shock waves through her body.

 ** _What the hell is going on with me?_**

Sure, Mary cared for all her students, thought of them as her own. However, this feeling was so much more than that, it was almost primal how protective she found herself becoming for this girl. She wanted nothing more than to bring Emma into her home and shower her with love and safety. Mary knew that it was not possible, she couldn't just take this girl into her home.

 _ **Or could I?** _ Mary thought. **_I would have to get her to trust me, to get her to tell me what is going on at home. I know there is something wrong. I can feel it._**

Mary thought back to when she first met Emma. It was around the beginning of the year. She never heard her speak of parents or siblings, it was hard enough to get her to speak in general. She had tried to get to know her on a few occasions, even her a 'get to know me' worksheet. It yielded few results, she learned that Emma's favorite color was orange and her favorite food was grilled cheese. The most she had heard of her parents was the previous evening. There had been murmurs among the teachers about Emma and another boy being foster children. Staying with the Newells', the couple that had a notorious reputation around town of being involved with drugs and trouble at the local watering hole. She did some digging but found nothing, nothing more than an old newspaper article on Emma. She had been abandoned by the side of the road not too far from here, merely a few hours old.

Mary cringed at the thought of Emma being thrown away, like she was nothing. Mary couldn't even imagine what kind of person would do that to a small defenseless infant. She didn't have any children yet, but she knew that if she was ever blessed enough to become a mother she would give her child more love and affection that one would even know what to do with. She wondered if there was any more information she could find on the Newell's, she had a dreadful feeling building in her stomach. There had to be something she could do.

 ** _I should ask David if he has ever had any run-ins with Kurt or Mandy._**

Sometimes she forgot that dating the local sheriff had its multitude of perks. He could easily look up any non-public files on them. Maybe it would give her enough information to launch an investigation into that house.

As if on cue, she felt a pair of strong arms wrap around her waist.

"Good morning, beautiful." He said as he nuzzled into her neck.

"Good morning, handsome." She said as she spun around, meeting his lips with a light peck.

"I made you some coffee." Mary said pouring David a cup.

"I smelled it." He brought the cup up to his lips and took a few sips.

"What time do you have to be at the station?"

"I was going to head in around eleven, give us some," He set his coffee down and pulled her closer to him. "Time together." He smiled.

She set down her coffee and wrapped her arms around his neck. Pulling him in for a deeper kiss.

"I guess I'll make you breakfast later, then." She giggled.

"I think I have some breakfast standing in front of me." He said in a low voice.

He picked her up bridal style and carried her off through the thin curtains.

The fresh coffee left forgotten on the counter.

* * *

Monday morning came sooner than Emma would have liked. She had spent the last two days cleaning the house, completely and unintentionally neglecting her mountain load of schoolwork. She rolled out of bed and headed down the hall to the bathroom, the door was closed.

"Noah! Hurry up." She said as she pounded on the door.

"Be out in a second." Noah said. His voice sounded hoarse with sleep.

Emma rolled her eyes and walked back to her room to get dressed. She opened her make sift closet and pulled out her favorite black hoodie and a pair of jeans, she pulled out her grey beanie and shoved it in her large pocket. She rummaged around the floor, searching for a pair of clean socks. After she found a satisfying pair she walked back down to the bathroom. Noah had just walked out, the mirror still foggy from his shower. She quickly pulled a brush through her curly locks, brushed her teeth and headed to Noah's room.

"Ready to go, kid?" She asked as she put her beanie on.

The sight before her stopped her blood cold. Not only was Noah's room completely torn apart, his lamp was shattered in the corner and Noah was covered in brushes. Emma rushed over to him, putting her hands gently on his arms.

"What the fuck did he do to you?!" Emma practically screamed.

Noah gave her a pained half smile. "I tried to bring you food last night. I got caught."

Her blood boiled. That bastard had beat the shit out of him, for trying to help her.

"I'll kill him." She said through gritted teeth.

"No, you won't. We've just got to lay low for a while. Stay out of their way." Noah said trying to calm her down.

Emma was seeing red; she barley heard anything Noah said to her.

"Emma, come on. We are gonna be late." Noah said pulling her out the door.

As they walked down the stairs and out of the house Emma did her best to slow her breathing, she was so angry she could almost feel herself vibrating. She could hear Noah's voice but she couldn't understand what he was saying. All she could think about was how badly she wanted to hurt those people, the way they had hurt them. The punishments never ended, they were punished for the smallest things; god forbid one of them got sick. Emma remembered how they locked her in the basement because they couldn't stand the sound of her coughing. She had been stuck down there for almost a week, she remembered how the thick damp air stuck to her skin and lungs. She had prayed for death then, she just wanted the pain to stop but relief never came. She eventually got better and was given extra chores for a month, luckily they gave her soup and the occasional glass of warm water. Emma thought back to the time Noah was sick with the stomach flu, she had to steal him medicine from the local drug store. She kept him hydrated and made sure that he had soup and crackers. She had to make sure that he was quite, not to draw any attention from Mr. and Mrs. Newell; they would have thrown him in the basement in without a second thought.

"Emma!" Noah practically yelled

Emma blinked out of her thoughts. "What?" She asked.

"I'll see you after school."

Emma looked up and noticed Noah's friends calling him to join them.

"Did you eat this morning?" She asked as she dug through her pockets.

"No, didn't want to make them angry by going in the kitchen." He said lowering his head, clutching his stomach.

"Here, take this. Get as much as you can and hide it well. Get something to eat, kid." She said as she handed him a ten-dollar bill.

Noah's eyes grew wide. "Where did you get this?"

"Only good thing about doing his laundry." She laughed. She tussled his hair slightly and wished him a good day.

He smiled at her, shoving the bill into his pocket as he ran to greet his friends. He turned and gave her a smile and a wave goodbye. She waved back and gave him a weak smile.

 ** _That kid deserves so much more than this._**

She continued her loan walk to school, her stomach growled loudly.

 ** _Now is not the time for you to start this shit_ ,** she said to herself.

She had finished cleaning late last night; she was too stubborn to ask for food so she waited until they both passed out. She snuck down to the kitchen only to find pad locks on all the cabinet doors and the fridge. She wanted to scream, how the hell did she end up in this place? Sometimes she wished they would hurt her bad enough to go to the hospital, that way she might have a chance to get Noah out too. Unfortunately to date, the beatings hadn't been that sever. Her face still held a light yellow bruise and four scabbing scratch marks. Her head on the other hand, had not stopped throbbing; she knew there was a slight possibility that she had a concussion. She'd had them before; she would just have to focus on focusing.

What had she ever done wrong to deserve this?

She'd gotten to school early enough for the halls to be sparse, only a few teachers roamed mindlessly around, clutching their tumblers of fresh coffee. Emma's stomach growled again, she dug in her book bag for any loose change, she came up empty.

 _ **Oh, well. The hunger will go away eventually.**_

She reached the library again, no one in sight. She set her book bag down on a table hidden behind the large shelves of books. She opened up her history book and began to read the first of six chapters that were assigned. The throbbing in her head became far too distracting to ignore, she looked in her bag in search of any kind of relief. In luck she found a half empty bottle of ibuprofen, she popped a few in her mouth and swallowed them dry. She clutched her head, begging the pain to stop.

 _ **Will I ever be in a home where the people actually love me? Will I ever be around people that won't hurt me?**_

That was a question she knew would forever remain unanswered.


	3. Chapter 3

I know this chapter is a little shorter but I needed to set it up for the next one. Big things are coming Emma's way.

Enjoy!

* * *

Emma jolted awake at the sound of the bell, she looked around the library and now found it filled with other students.

 _ **Shit, I'm late for class!**_

She quickly threw her history book into her bag and rushed out of the library, racing to get to her first class. She glanced up at the clock hanging from the wall, she still had two minutes to be in her seat before the second bell rang.

As she rounded the corner her body collided with another. Her body landed hard on the ground, the contents of her open book bag spilled on the floor. Emma felt her head bounce off the ground, sending a shock wave of pain throughout her body. She held her eyes tightly shut, begging the tears not to spill over the edge.

"Oh, Emma. We've got to stop meeting like this." The familiar voice said gruffly.

 _ **Oh shit. Not her again.**_

Emma thought as she slowly opened her eyes. Mary's body was also sprawled on the floor, a few books lay not far from her.

"Uh, sorry Ms. Blanchard." Emma said as she began to gather her things from the ground.

"Running late for class?" Mary asked, as she looked the girl over.

Her bloodshot eyes held dark circles yet again, her skin was almost deathly pale and her hair hung limp and the marks on her cheek were very much cause for concern.

 _ **This girl hasn't seen a decent night sleep in a long time, or a decent meal.**_

"Uh, yeah. I was trying to catch up on some reading in the library. Must have missed the first bell. I was just trying to make it by the next one." Emma said as she bent down grabbing her things along with one of Mary's books.

Her headed throbbed as the second bell rang overhead, she winced slightly.

"Are you alright? Did you hit your head? Do you need to go to the nurse?" Mary asked frantically approaching the girl to get a better look at her head.

"No!" Emma practically screamed.

Mary slightly jumped back at Emma's outburst.

Emma scolded herself, she needed to keep her cool.

"Sorry, no I'm okay. I just…really need to get to class. Mr. Thomas can be a hard ass." Emma said quickly as she raised her hand to fix her beanie. Her hand connected with something thick and sticky, causing her to groan inwardly. She quickly brought her hand to her pocket, hoping Mary hadn't noticed.

 _ **Shit. Now is so not the time for this.**_

Mary chose to ignore the cursing, for the moment.

"Emma, what happened to your face?" Mary asked slowly.

The girl was silent for a brief second.

"Cat." She whispered, looking down at the floor.

Mary was quiet, she knew it wasn't a cat. It looked more like fingernail marks. She looked at Emma for a long moment, she knew that Emma wouldn't open up to her yet. She had to take things slow and easy with her. Mary sighed slightly and took a pad of paper out of her back pocket, scribbled a few words and handed the slip to Emma.

Emma looked at her perplexingly. Mary gave her a small smile.

"This is a pass for you to give to Mr. Thomas. You would have made it on time if I hadn't stopped you." Mary said softly.

"Uh, thank you Ms. Blanchard." Emma said in a small voice.

"No problem. Now, get to class. I'll see you after lunch." Mary said continuing on her way.

Emma stared at the piece of paper in her hand and then back at Mary.

 _ **Wow, that was…really nice of her to do that.**_

Emma almost wanted to beg Mary to come back, she would tell her everything that was happening. If she promised to stay, keep her safe.

 _ **What the hell is wrong with me? Who the hell am I kidding? She wouldn't care.**_

Emma knew that it was a lie, but she couldn't let herself be weak right now, she couldn't depend on anyone but herself. She headed to her class, but not before stopping at the bathroom to get a better look at her head. She pulled her beanie off to reveal her reopened head wound had tainted her blond hair a dark red.

"Fuck, fuck, fuck." Emma growled.

She quickly grabbed a few paper towels from the dispenser, running them under water. She placed them gently against the side of her head, the cool sensation stinging slightly. Emma winced at the pain, she got as much blood out of her hair as she could. She discarded the red towels in the trash can and put her beanie back on. Making sure that it covered any and all red tinted strands of hair. She walked out of the bathroom and headed to her first period history class.

* * *

Mary slowly walked back to her classroom, her head absolutely swarmed with concern. She was fighting viciously with her new found instincts not to turn around and wrap Emma in her arms, swear to keep her safe from now on. She knew she had to find a way to help her without causing any repercussions on Emma's part.

 _ **There is definitely something going on. I don't care what happens to me, I've got to help her.**_

Mary entered her busy classroom and greeted her students.

"Good morning everyone." She said as she walked over to her desk and placed her books neatly on top of a pile of graded worksheets.

The murmurs of the room slowly died out.

"Now, I know that we had a quiz scheduled for today. But I know that many of you probably didn't take to time out of your busy weekend to study. I am feeling generous today, so get in small groups or by yourselves; read the chapters that were assigned. Answer the questions on page 102 and 103. And turn them in at the end of class." Mary said as she took survey of how her student's faces lit up at her assignment.

"I expect you to keep the volume to a minimum. You may answer the questions as a group. Make sure to put each name of the members of your group on the top to the paper, please." She said as she sat down at her desk.

She watched as her students gathered groups of desks together, smiling and whispering to each other. No doubt about how thankful they were that Mary had taken mercy on them. She waited until everyone's head was buried in their books and she pulled out her phone. Scrolling through her messages until she reached David's name.

 _Hey, did you get a chance to look into those names I gave you?_

She typed out frantically.

She placed her phone down, awaiting a reply. She began trying to think of ways to get Emma to trust her, to open up to her. She couldn't just come out and ask her all the questions that were burning in her throat. They would have to come straight from Emma.

 _ **I could ask her to join me for lunch? No, that wouldn't work. She would just politely decline. She is so guarded, closed off to everyone. Maybe there is a common interest that I could build from? Ugh! I have to think of something.**_

She was pulled out of her thoughts by a message from David.

 _I tried to pull their files. I got a little information, the rest is locked out for some reason._

Mary re-read his message a few times.

 _Locked out? By whom?_

She scanned through her brain, trying to think of anyone that would want to keep that kind of information private. David's reply answered her suspicions.

 _The mayor._

* * *

Regina sat in her office, going over tedious forms and documents for the upcoming town hall meeting.

 _ **You'd think I would have given myself less paper work to do.**_

She placed her pen down and stood to look out the window, the town clock tower holding her in its shadow. It had begun to tick a few months ago, Regina filled with dread the first time she heard its chime. Things were changing in her town, and she didn't like it; not one bit. Her curse was weakening, the town's people no longer went through the same routine, and their actions seemed to be of their own free will. It was a subtle change at first, Mary Margret bumping into her on the street, Charming waking from his supposed eternal coma, Geppetto finally fixing his store sign. She knew the curse would have kinks to work out. But it had only been fifteen years, it should not be weakening so soon.

When the Charmings has moved in together she almost killed them, but she knew she must refrained from such a rash decision. She didn't need the town in a panic, or anyone waking up.

"Ms. Mills?" Followed a light knock on Regina's door.

"What is it, Sidney?" She replied briskly.

"Well, you wanted to be notified if anyone tried to access the Newell's file." He said as he played with the papers in his hands.

Regina waited for him to elaborate, he simply stood there, silent.

"So, are you here to simply take up space and my time, or do you have some information for me?" She said sternly approaching him slowly.

"I…uh…well…you see…" Sidney began to stutter out.

"WELL?!" Regina bellowed at him.

"The sheriff tried to open it today. The system shoved him back out, but he tried two more times." He said quickly as he cowered slightly in the doorway.

Regina stared at him for a moment, rage filling her eyes.

 _ **I knew it, something IS weakening the curse. I knew it! I locked those files out for a reason, if Prince Charming is trying to get into them, which means his precious Snow is feeling a connection to the Swan girl. Well that just won't work. I should have gotten rid of her while I still had the chance.**_

"Madam Mayor?" Sidney said.

 _ **If my suspicions are correct, that means this little brat could actually break my curse. I won't allow that. I must sever this connection before it has even begun. I'll have to take drastic measures. But I'll have to be subtle about it.**_

Regina was silent for a moment. Trying to come up with some way to break this girl. Make her lose any kind of hope for a happy ending.

 _ **Ah! I know just the thing.**_

"I have a job for you, my pet." She said slowly.

Sidney gulped, he knew that this wasn't going to be good.


	4. Chapter 4

**Hey guys, I know that it's been a while. Life has been super freaking crazy. I love getting all the reviews and hearing what you guys have to say. Keep them coming!**

 **This is a longer chapter.**

 **I hope you enjoy.**

* * *

The first half of the day went by rather slowly for Mary, she couldn't understand why the mayor would have locked out files on Emma's foster parents. She had to be hiding something. Luckily it was Mary's turn to watch the students during their lunch period, she made sure to keep an eye out for Emma.

As Mary walked into the cafeteria she was slammed with the abundance of noise bouncing off the walls. She waved at a few smiling faces before finding a table in the back, perfect for observation. She sat down and pulled out her book and packed lunch. She nibbled on her sandwich while staring down at her book, she wouldn't actually read anything but it would make her look occupied enough to go unnoticed.

She watched the students get their lunches and find an open seat, most sitting with friends or siblings. But she hadn't yet seen Emma walk in the lunchroom, she did however, see her foster brother Noah chatting with some friends at a nearby table. He was a cute kid, brown hair hung freely in his face, curly slightly at the ends. He was tall for his age, but very scrawny, he hadn't seen a decent meal in a while either. The food they served at in the cafeteria was okay, as far as school lunches go anyways but it was nothing sufficient enough to sustain a growing boy.

Finally she watched as Emma slowly walked into the large room. She, too, found a table in the back and settled in. Mary silently watched as she put a pair of headphones in her ears and pulled a book out of her bag and began reading. Doing her best to drown out the incoming noises from the room and keep to herself.

 _ **No lunch?**_ Mary thought.

She glanced back over at Noah, he had a tray full of food, some that would rot his teeth out. She was slightly puzzled by this.

 _ **Did these people give Noah money and not Emma? Why would they do that?**_

She glanced quickly down at her book as her wondering eyes caught Emma's. She could feel Emma staring at her, but knew she couldn't have Emma catching on to her so soon. She read a paragraph or two and finally claimed it safe to glance up. She watched as Noah ran over to Emma plucking the buds from her ears. Emma gave him a small smile and started a conversation, unfortunately out of Mary's earshot. She glanced back down at her book, trying to focus her hearing but the noise of the room proved too great for her ears to overcome.

As she looked back up she saw Noah throw himself down next to Emma. Whatever he was saying to her had him really excited. He was smiling ear to ear, practically jumping up and down. His eyes were completely lit up, joy extremely evident on his face. Emma's face however, held a very apparent opposite emotion. Mary watched her face pale as the dim light in her eyes quickly faded, her face twisted into a look of pure despair. She tried to mask it though, tried to smile although it was clear the good news for Noah was terrible news for Emma. He then handed her a sandwich and a bottle of water. She gave him a tight hug and he rushed back over to his friends. Emma opened the water and took a large swig, the sandwich was left untouched.

 _ **Maybe she isn't feeling well? Oh my god! What if she has a concussion from hitting her head this morning?!**_

Panic rose in Mary's chest, she started to get up to check on her, when Emma stood up and walked out of the cafeteria.

Mary was torn. She knew she shouldn't leave the cafeteria unattended, but she felt an undeniable urge to check on Emma. She took a survey of the room, it seemed stable enough to step away from for a moment. Mary quickly gathered her things and rushed out of the room, as she rounded the corner she saw Emma's small frame enter the bathroom. Mary stopped, she didn't want to completely invade her privacy but she had to make sure she was alright. Mary slowly entered the bathroom, she leaned against the wall, listening closely.

It was silent.

For a moment.

Then she heard it.

The soft sobs that escaping out of one of the stalls.

Mary could swear she felt her heart shatter inside her chest. Hearing Emma cry erupted a new intense instinct for Mary. She couldn't stop herself from rushing to the closed door and quietly knocking.

"Emma? Sweetie, are you okay?" Mary asked softly, the term of endearment easily passing over her lips.

"Go away!" Emma said through her tears.

 _ **Now is the time Mary. Don't let her push you away, show her that you care.**_

"I can't do that, honey."

"Yes, you can. Leave me alone." Emma croaked.

Mary slowly knelt down, through the crack in the door she could see Emma sitting on the floor, knees pulled tightly to her chest. Mary took a deep breath, choking back tears of her own.

"No, Emma I can't. You're upset. Tell me what I can do."

"You can't do anything! You can't help!" Emma yelled. "No one can." She said as she buried her head into her knees.

"Can you open the door for me, please? I can help you. You just have to let me. Please, honey." Mary said softly.

She held her breath, silently prying that Emma would let her in.

The air was thin and the silence heavy. It felt like hours before a small sound broke through.

Slowly the door unlatched, still crouching Mary carefully opened the door careful not to hit Emma. The opened door revealed Emma's small form tightly pressed in the corner of the stall, her eyes were bloodshot and her cheeks tear stained, her hair was slightly disheveled, clinging to her damp face. Mary's breath caught in her throat at the sight of the girl.

 ** _She is so broken. So hopeless. I have to help her._**

"What's the matter, Emma?" Mary finally asked.

Emma gave a slight scoff, "What isn't?" She said.

Mary sighed, that was a fair question. This poor girl was going through something awful, this was the very first time that Mary had witnessed such emotion from Emma. That worried her more than anything.

 _ **What had that boy talked to her about? What could have possibly affected her this way?**_

"Well, why don't we start with what has you so upset right now."

Emma stared at the neighboring wall for a moment.

"It doesn't matter. It changes nothing. It just proves my point."

"And what point would that be?"

"That no one will ever give two shits about me." Emma wiped her face with the back of her sleeve. "That I really am all alone."

"But you're not alone, Emma. I'm here for you."

"Do you know how many times I've heard that?" Emma laughed. "Countless foster parents, group homes and social workers. But where they hell are they?" Emma asked angrily. "No where."

Mary was silent for a moment. Wondering just how many people in Emma's life had let her down. She was determined not to be one of them.

"Look Emma, I can't make you believe me." Mary said as she lifted Emma's chin. "I can however, **prove** to you that I am different. That I truly am here for you."

Tears clouded Emma's vision. She wanted so badly for May's words to be true, wanted so desperately to have something to cling to. But she didn't want to get hurt again. Her heart couldn't handle anymore pain. She wouldn't survive.

"I-" She started to say. Completely torn on what to do, she wanted nothing more than to tell Mary everything that was going on. This was her perfect opportunity, Mary was here, she was listening, she was trying to prove to Emma that she cared. But nothing good would come from speaking about her home.

"I'm sorry. I can't." Emma said solemnly.

Mary looked at the girl with sad eyes, then down to the floor.

 _ **Don't give up Mary. Don't let her down.**_

"Okay, sweetie. I won't make you tell me anything that you don't want to. But I am here for you. When you're ready."

Emma nodded slowly. They sat in silence for a while.

"Hey, tell you what. Why don't you come back to my classroom with me? You can take it easy for a while, eat some lunch?" Mary asked.

Emma looked up into Mary's eyes. She was giving her a warm soft smile. Emma knew that she needed time to decompress and come up with a plan on what to do next. And being around Mary had a way of calming her down.

"Yeah, okay." Emma said.

Mary held out her hand to help Emma stand.

 _ **She is so light, definitely not taken care of well enough**_

Mary backed out the stall and grabbed Emma a few paper towels to wipe her face with. Emma gave her a grateful look as she picked up her book bag and beanie and walked out of the bathroom. They walked to the classroom in silence, neither one knowing exactly what to say to the other. Mary unlocked her door and allowed Emma to enter, as she passed by Mary caught sight of the red tinting in Emma's hair.

 _ **That couldn't have come from hitting her head this morning. It must have already been there.**_

She slowly closed the door and placed her lunch and book down on her desk. She walked into a small room at the back of the class and grabbed a first aid kit. Emma watched as she sat down at a nearby desk and patted the seat next to her. Emma looked at her through terrified eyes.

 _ **Oh, shit. She saw my head. Why didn't I put my beanie back on? I'm so stupid!**_

"It's okay, Emma. I don't bite. I just want to make sure your head doesn't get infected."

"Umm." Emma said trying to come up with an excuse for the wound.

"It's alright sweetie. I won't make you tell me until you're ready." Mary said with a forced smile.

Emma nodded slowly and sat down in front of her. Mary gently parted Emma's hair so she could get a better look at the source of the blood. It wasn't in need of stitches, but it would definitely cause a great deal of discomfort.

"Now, this is going to sting a little." Mary said as she brought an alcohol pad down on to her head.

Emma let out a hiss as the alcohol sept into her head.

"I know, I'm sorry."

"It's okay, not your fault." She said through gritted teeth.

Mary cleaned up the wound as best she could, there was some slight bleeding that followed. She placed a pad of gauze over it.

"There, all better."

Mary grabbed Emma's beanie from her bag and situated it on her head. She gave her chin a gentle squeeze and returned the first aid kit to the closet.

"Why are you being so nice to me?" Emma asked in a low voice.

Mary sat down and grabbed her hand she lifted Emma's eyes to meet her own. For a brief moment Mary thought as though she was looking into a mirror. The emerald eyes staring back at her seemed a perfect replica of her own. She pushed the thought away and focused on Emma.

"Because my sweet girl, I am on your side and I want you to know that. You need to know that someone cares for your well being. You need to know that you can trust someone and I want to be that person for you." Mary said letting her soft hold on Emma's chin fall away.

"But why?"

"I'll just be honest with you Emma. I know that something is bothering you and I know that something is going on at home."

"But I-" Emma started to say.

"Let me finish." Mary said.

Emma leaned back into her seat, setting her gaze on the tile flooring.

"I know that something is going on at home and you feel like you have no one to turn to, no one you can trust, no one who will understand. But, I am trying to. I know that you have closed yourself off to the world because it has never done anything for you except let you down. I want to show you that not everyone in the world is like the ones you have been exposed to. There are some good people in this world, you just have to find them and let them help you. You don't have to carry the weight of the world on your shoulders, Emma. That's why we need others, to lean on when we are weak."

"I am not weak!" Emma snapped.

"I'm not saying that you are, Emma. I only meant that people need people. We need others to survive, to help us through the hard stuff. To help us not feel so alone." Mary finished. She looked at Emma, awaiting a response.

"I am alone." She said just barely above a whisper. The tears that had formed were dangerously close to spilling over the edge.

Mary's chest grew tight as her own eyes began to water, she grabbed both of the girls hands and gave them a tight squeeze.

"Not anymore."

Emma looked up at her, and for the third time that day, almost told Mary everything. But she stopped herself yet again.

 _ **I can't. Especially now. Not after what Noah told me. I have fucked enough things up in life for myself. I don't need to destroy anything for him.**_

Mary watched in despair as Emma's walls shot back up, closing herself completely off. She signed at this. She wouldn't give up, no matter what it took. She would break those walls down.

* * *

Emma walked home that day, full of dread. She knew what was going to happen and she knew she wasn't ready for it. Right as she was turning down her street she stopped.

 _ **I can't do this. I just can't. I'm not strong enough to handle it.**_

She turned away from the house and started towards the woods.

 _ **I know I heard a few people talking about a party tonight. It's been forever since I went to one but It would be nice to hang out with people. Forget about this whole thing.**_

She cheered up at bit at the thought of hanging out with some of her older friends. One boy in particular, Killian had an undeniable interest in her and would always invite her to his cabin when his parents were out of town. She hadn't shown up to the last few times though, she had wanted to make sure that Noah wasn't alone in that place.

 _ **Oh, well. I just head there and see if anyone is there yet.**_

She headed down the narrow path that lead to the cabin, she knew it well and would very much enjoy the change in scenery. As Emma approached, she could hear the roar of music and people talking. A bunch of people she knew waved as she passed by, a few others ran up to her as she walked in.

"Oh my god! Emma it's been forever! Where the hell have you been girl!" Meghan yelled.

"Hey, Megs. Oh, you know, I've been around." Emma said.

"Well all that matters is that you're here now!" Meghan said as she handed her a red cup.

Emma gave her a smile and gladly took the cup. She downed it quickly and shared a laugh with Meghan.

"Hell yeah! My girl is back! Woooo!" She said as she raised her drink. Others joined in the group howl, toasting haphazardly.

"Come on! It's getting dark and they are starting a fire." Meghan said as she pulled on Emma's arm.

"Okay, okay. Just let me grab another drink." Emma said with a laugh.

She headed into the small crowded kitchen. It was swimming with people, making it almost impossible to even reach the good stuff. When she was finally able to reach her desired liquor she quickly filled her cup to the brim.

 _ **I definitely don't need to mix it with anything tonight.**_

She took a long swig and headed outside. Her body swaying slightly to the music. As she reached the door, she felt an arm pull her back, almost spilling her drink.

"Well, hello there, love."

Emma looked up to see Killian Jones. The local hottie and starting quarterback on the football team, looking down at her.

"Jeeze Killian, you almost made me spill my drink."Emma said nudging him in the side.

"I'm sorry. It's just been a while since you've come around this watering hole.' He said giving her a devilish smile.

"Yeah, well. Other people do require some of my time."

"Well I hope you still have time for me."

"Yeah, yeah. I've always got time for you." She said as she sipped her drink.

She'd had a crush on Killian for a while now but he was older than her and she knew he only had one thing on his mind. And that was something that she just wasn't interested in. Not yet anyway. But she couldn't help but to be drawn to him, those deep brown eyes had a way of pulling her in. And that smile.

 _ **Ugh! That damn smile. Makes me melt like butter.**_

"Looks like your drink needs topped off." He said looking down at her half empty glass.

She followed him back into the kitchen and watched as he pulled out a secret bottle of whiskey from under the sink.

"Ah, you know me so well." Emma said.

"Ugh, I don't know how you drink this shit straight. Tastes like rubbing alcohol to me." He said as he filled her cup.

"Well you know, we can't all fancy rum. Then there wouldn't be enough to go around."

"Aye love, It's a pirates life for me." He laughed.

"Come one, I was on my way outside before you stopped me." She said grabbing his hand.

"Wherever you lead, I will follow." He said with a wink.

They gathered with the others around the large fire, Emma sipped her drink while Killian talked to some of his friends. She could feel the whisky seeping into her bones, her body finally beginning to relax. The pounding in her head had stopped and she felt her head grow light.

Killian turned back to her with a smile.

"Someone is feeling good."

"The best I've felt in weeks." She replied, taking another drink.

She recognized a song that was playing and told Killian to dance with her. He eagerly agreed, allowing Emma to pull him over to a group of others dancing. Her body swayed with the rhythm, she rolled her head back and looked up at the darkening sky.

 _ **God I needed this.**_

* * *

Mary sat on the sofa, curled tightly into David's side. They were watching a cheesy romantic comedy that she'd insisted on. She wasn't paying much attention though, her mind was focused on her encounter with Emma. Her mind was replaying everything that Emma had said. They way her face looked when Mary opened the bathroom stall door. How she just sat at a desk silently until the bell rang. How she hadn't touched her sandwich. How Mary just wanted to wrap the girl up in her arms and never let go.

"Mary Margaret." David said.

Mary snapped out of her thoughts and looked up at David.

"Wow, was I that deep in thought? You had to use my full name?" She chuckled.

"Yeah, I was trying to ask you about your day." He said.

"I got to talk with Emma a little bit. She is really troubled, David. You should have seen this poor girl, cowering in a bathroom stall crying like I've never seen before. It was absolutely heartbreaking."

"I know, honey. I put in to receive the locked out files on the Newells. But I haven't heard anything back yet. They mayor is a busy women, I'm sure she'll get to it when she can." David tried to reassure her.

"Well I can't just wait for Regina to find a convenient time for her. This girl needs help. And she needs it now."

"I know. And It's wonderful that you're trying so hard to help this girl. It's one of the things that I love about you,"

"But?" Mary said.

David sighed. "But. Maybe there isn't anything that you can do. Maybe,"

"Maybe what, David?" Mary said turning to face him.

"Maybe there isn't anything going on. Maybe she is just going through that angsty phase. All teenagers do. Hell, I know I did. And being in foster care. That would mess anyone up. She's dealing with a lot. But maybe, that's all it is."

Mary looked at him for a moment, anger flooding her veins.

 _ **Calm down, Mary. He hasn't seen her in the state that you have. He hasn't seen all the obvious signs that everyone else just seems to ignore. He doesn't know.**_

"You don't know, David. There has to be a reason for those files being locked."

"Honey, what reason would the mayor have for locking out files? Maybe she is just trying to help them. Maybe they are trying to get their lives back in order. You know, clean up their act and they don't want their business all over the place."

"David, please don't tell me that you really believe that. I'm telling you that this is more than just a teenager going through a phase. She isn't misunderstood. She is hurting and maybe in trouble."

Mary was at a loss. She couldn't understand why he wouldn't see her side. She stood up and walked into the kitchen, she placed her palms down on the counter, trying to calm herself.

David looked at her, at a loss for what to do.

"Okay, you're right." He said walking up behind her. "Maybe there is more. You're right. I don't see Emma on a daily basis, so I don't have all the facts. I'll keep digging. Okay?"

Mary let out a breath she didn't know she was holding.

"Thank you." She whispered.

He slowly wrapped his arms around her waist, holding her tightly.

"Now, can we get back to enjoying our evening together?" He asked.

"Yes, we-"

Mary was cut off by the sound of David's phone ringing.

"I thought you weren't on call tonight." Mary asked.

"I'm not." He said reaching in his pocket. Sure enough it was the station. He inwardly grunted.

"Hello?"

 _"David. I know you're not on call tonight but I am stuck at the Rabbit Hole with Leroy. I got a noise complaint from some older folks taking a walk in the woods. I think that Jones boy is having another party."_ Graham said.

"Ugh, again? Didn't we just bust him two weeks ago? That boy will never learn." David grumbled.

 _"Yeah, I know. I'm really sorry. Think you can run by there and break it up?"_

David looked at Mary for a moment and sighed.

"Yeah, I'll be there as soon as I can." He said ending the call.

"What's wrong?" Mary asked.

"Looks like the Jones boy is throwing another raging party. I'm going to run down there real quick and scatter the crowd." David said as he pulled on his boots.

"Mind if I tag along?" Mary asked, doing the same.

"Honey it's just a high school party. I'll be there and back in thirty minutes tops."

"I just want to spend some time with you. Plus it'll be good preparation for any of the sick kids in my classes tomorrow." She smiled.

David laughed and held the front door open for her.

"As you wish."

* * *

They could hear the sirens approaching quickly.

 _ **Shit! I've gotta get out of here.**_

She sat up from her spot on Killian's lap, he gave her a sad look.

"Leaving so soon, love? I thought we were headed somewhere."

"Killian, I might be drunk off my ass, but in your friggin dreams." Emma slurred. "Come on. I've gotta get out of here. I don't need more trouble." She said as she put her jacket back on.

"I can show you where I hide out. We can continue where we left off." He said into her neck.

His breath sent chills through her body. A part of her wanted to stay with him but she knew that was the very much less sober part of her brain.

"I can't." She said putting her hand on the door knob.

Killian's hand slammed on the door.

"You can't just do this to a man you know. Get him all excited and then just leave. I'll be in pain. You don't want that do you?" He growled.

"Killian, just let me out of here, I need to leave." She was starting to get scared. He'd never been this aggressive with her before. She tried to shove past him but he shoved her back.

"Killian this isn't funny anymore. Let me out." She said more powerful.

He towered over her, backing her up to the couch. As her calves hit the sofa she fell backwards.

"See, was that so hard? You're going to finish what you started."

Emma looked up into his eyes, they had turned from his warm brown into a menacing black. She was terrified now, there was no slowly began to undo his belt buckle. His hands found their way to her chest, she tried to move, scream anything that would keep him away from her. Even in her drunken stooper she managed to throw her fist into his jaw.

He cried out in pain and fell to the floor. She tried to stand but her body felt heavier than a rock. She crawled on her knees across the room to the door. She glanced back at Killian, he was still clutching his jaw on the ground. She lifted herself up on the door frame and swung the door open. The siren was louder than before, she knew the cops had to be here by now, she couldn't get caught though. If she arrived home in a cop car, the Newells would make her life a new kind of hell; which is exactly what she had been desperately trying to escape.

As she stumbled down the hallway she could hear girls yelling, no doubt trying to escape a similar fate. She made her way to the stairs, being sure to steady herself on the railing on her way down. When she finally reached the bottom she headed for the back door.

 _ **If I go deep enough into the woods they won't be able to find me. I can figure out something to tell the Newells later.**_

She had reached the dying bonfire when a voice stopped her dead in her tracks.

"Emma Swan!"

 _ **Oh, fuck! Are you kidding me?**_

She slowly turned, revealing Mary's stone cold face. She stood before her, arms crossed and her mouth set in a thin line. Emma didn't say a word, she knew she was in huge trouble. She simply stood there, looking at the ground; the world started to shift and she stumbled backwards. Mary's hands quickly caught her before she could fall. But that is all she wanted. She just wanted to melt into the ground, the disappointment filling Mary's eyes was too much for her to handle right now.

Mary held her firm grip on Emma as she led her to the front of the house. There were still plenty of kids trying to scatter, some of them giving her apologetic looks as they ran by. Emma's vision was slightly blurred but she could make out the lights on top of the sheriff's car. Mary opened the door with one hand and helped Emma into the back.

"Do you have anything to say for yourself?" Mary asked.

Emma sat silenced, eyes still on the floor.

Mary sighed as she closed the door.

 _ **It's now or never Mary. This is your chance.**_

She waited outside of the cruiser for David to arrive. He slowly walked back to her with a smile on his face.

"Oh, how I love to crash a party."

"Well, I don't think everyone is thankful for your helpful hand." She said as she nodded her head to Emma.

David looked at the girl for a moment, wondering where Mary was planning on doing with the her.

"Is she drunk?" David asked.

"Off her ass." Mary said bluntly.

"What to you want to do?"

Mary looked down at Emma.

 _ **What do I want to do? If I take her home she will be in more trouble than even I could imagine. But if I take her to the loft, I'm just condoning her actions. I can't baby her right now. I know she is hurting. But she needs to find a better outlet. One less self destructive.**_

Mary sighed. "Take us to the football field." Mary said as she opened her door.

"What?" David asked.

"Just trust me."

David ran his hands through his hair and rounded the cruiser. He got in and strapped his seat belt on.

"Emma, this is David. David, this is Emma." Mary said.

"It's nice to meet you Emma. Not so much under these particular circumstances, but still." David said kindly.

Emma didn't breathe a word. She just sat there waiting for this all to be over.

 _ **Just take me home so I can deal with my beating.**_

David pulled away from the cabin and onto the rural road. It was a short drive to the school, when they arrived David looked over at Mary.

"Now, what?" He whispered.

"Now, you head home. I'll call you when we are done here." She said as she planted a quick kiss on his lips.

He gave her a puzzled look.

Mary got out of the car and opened Emma's door.

"Come on Emma." Mary said.

Emma sluggishly obeyed.

 _ **What is she going to do? Try to sit down with them and tell them how much of a fuck up I am? Tell them that they need to keep a better eye on me? She's only going to make things worse.**_

They walked for a moment, Mary kept one arm on Emma's shoulders to keep her steady, she heard the cruiser pull away, her eyes still fixed on the ground. Mary stopped to open the gate to the field. For the first time Emma looked up and noticed they weren't at her house. Emma looked at Mary with confused eyes. She said nothing and lead them further on the field, when she finally stopped she pulled Emma's jacket off and threw it on the ground.

With the loss of Mary's arms around her, Emma stumbled slightly.

 _ **What the hell are we doing here? This makes no sense.**_

"Now, I know something is going on with you. I also know that expect so much more from you than this. So you're going to run and run and run and run. Until all of that liquor in your system finds its way into the grass." Mary said as she folded her arms.

Emma didn't move. She didn't understand this. What was the point?

"From what I've seen Emma, you're a good runner. So you'd better get going." Mary said.

 _ **This is going to be a long night.**_

* * *

 **I really hope you guys liked this chapter. It killed me to write Killian that way but there is a reason. Just trust me. He won't always be a complete asshole. Leave me a review and let me know what you guys think!**

 **Until next time..**


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